Interlocking pre-cast panels



Jan. 19, 1960 Filed Feb. 17, 1958 T. W. WILSON INTERLOCKING PRE-CAST PANELS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Jan. 19, 1960 Filed Feb. 17, 1958 T. W. WILSON INTERLOCKING PRE-CAST PANELS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 1N VENTOR.

720/7743 l l/ooz/roow M/Jm BY I Jan. 19, 1960 'r. w. WILSON 2,921,462

INTERLOCKING PREP-CAST PANELS Filed Feb. 17, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

Jan. 19, 1960 Filed Feb. 17, 1958 T. W. WILSON INTERLOCKING PRE-CAST PANELS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. Tfiowas Ll ooc/raw M/sm BY United States Patent This invention relates to interlocking and strengthening means for pre-cast panels of concrete and the like. Precast panels of concrete and other cement-aggregate mixtures suitably reenforced are capable of use for floors, ceilings, walls of buildings, etc. They are also capable of use in forms for poured concrete walls.

It is the purpose of this invention to provide a means whereby the panels, when mounted edge to edge, are interlocked and individually subjected to final edgewise compression by the same instrumentalities.

It is a further purpose of my invention to provide a panel construction of the character described wherein each panel is bound around its peripheral edge by a tensioned flexible band when the panel is cast and cured and the band is finally tensioned by the means which interlocks adjacent panels.

Other and more detailed objects and advantages of my invention will be evident from the following description and the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred form of my invention is illustrated. The drawings and description are, however, illustrative only and are not intended to limit the invention except insofar as it is limited by the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing part of a double panel 'wall embodying panels constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged face view of the junction of four panels, certain portions of the panels being broken away to illustrate the interior construction of the corner of a panel;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on'the line 3-3 of Figure 2, illustrating how two walls of panels are tied together;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a sectional view through a panel assembly showing how the panel may be made lighter by'ribbing for use as floor or like panels where all of the loading of the panel is from one side;

Figure 6 is a side view of a panel embodying my invention;

Figure 7 is a bottom view of the panel illustrated in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a plan view showing my invention applied to a polygonal panel shape other than rectangular; and

Figure 9 is a detail view showing how two securing plates and a tie bolt are welded together to be used as one unit.

Referring now to the drawings, my invention is shown as embodied in panels 10 of concrete which can be used to construct. floors, walls, ceilings, forms for poured walls, etc. The panels may be of various polygonal shapes. They may be made of any suitable materials such as a mixture of cement and aggregate that can be cast and cured, or a combination of other materials that may be preformed to panel shape. My invention is particularly applilice cable to concrete panels, but the invention is in applying a compressive stress to the already formed panels and enhancing the compression in the connection of the panels together. Each panel 10 has a peripheral channel 11 which receives a stressing member 12. The nature and material of the stressing member may be varied. High tensile strength and ability to retain its strength over a long period of time after it is in place are the required characteristics. High tensile strength corrosion resistant steel strapping or wire is effective with concrete. The member 12 may be held in the mold so the concrete covers it or put on after molding, in which case the channel 11 is open.

At each corner of. a panel 10, I provide a clip 13. These clips 13, as shown best by Figures 2 and 3, are put in place in the molding of the panel 101 Each clip has end portions 14 that extend into the panel edgewise. Straight portions 15 of the clip 13 extend toward the panel corner from the end portions 14. The portions 15 are joined by an elbow portion 16 that defines a corner recess in the panel and presents a concave face outwardly from the panel. The panel itself has a depression 17 in each corner which extends from one face to the edge channel 11. The clip 13 is of such width that it extends from the depression 17 to the other face of the panel 10.

It is desirable to have the clip 13 extend far enough out with respect to this other face to engage a flat surface upon which the panel is laid for a reason that will presently appear. beyond the adjacent panel surface is exaggerated in order to make up for roughness of the panel surface.

Each panel when it is molded and cured is bound edgewise with the stressing member 12 which is held under tension so that it tends to compress the panel edgewlse. The member 12 overlies the clip 13 and extends diagonally across the corner recess defined by the elbow portion 16 of the clip 13.

In assembling the panels into a wall, I join the panels to each other and tighten the stressing members 12 to their final tension by using a thick plate 18 at each corner with a plurality of pins 20, one for each panel passing through corner openings 19 provided in the plate 13. The plate 18 and the pins 20 preferably are of steel. The pins are driven between the stressing member 12 and the elbow portion 16 of the clip 13, forcing the member 12 out around the pins 20 and thereby increasing the tension in the member 12 and the compressive stress around the periphery of the panel 15). The plates 18 and the pins 20 connect the several panels of a wall at their meeting corners and cooperate with the clips 13 to increase the compressive stress on each panel by the same means that joins the panels together. The meeting edges of the panels are forced tightly against each other.

The metal plates 18 rest on the panels 10 in the depressions 17 thereof. When the wall is up these depressions 17 can be filled with a mortar material like that of the panels to provide a surface matching the panels over the plates 18.

As shown in Figure 8, the panels need not be rectangular. The same interconnection and stressing can be accomplished with other polygonal shapes such as the shape of the panel 10 in Figure 8. The members 12', the plates 18, pins 20', and the clips 13' being used as in the rectangular panels.

Where the panels are to be subjected to load from either side, which would be the case in using the spaced walls 8 and 9 of Figure 1 to receive a poured aggregate filler, it is desirable to have the panels of uniform thickness throughout and to have the channels 11 and members 12 set inward from both faces as shown in Figure l. The compressive stress furnished by the member 12 thus opposes distortion of the panel in either direction.

In the drawings the extension of the clip.

Where the panel loading is entirely from one face, it is possible to make the panel lighter by hollowing it out as indicated in Figures and 7, leaving only edge ribs 21 and diagonal ribs 22 extending the full thickness of the panel. With this construction loading from the smooth side of the panel is as elfectively opposed as it would be if the hollowed out face were filled in up to the ribs. Figure 6 shows how the members 12 may be wrapped around the panel so as to be exposed after the panel is made with an open channel 11.

My invention is particularly useful in making hollow walls, and walls for receiving poured concrete, etc. The plates 18 have center holes 23 in them so that bolts 24 may be used to connect opposed walls in spaced parallel relation. The bolts may be welded directly to two of the plates 18 and used as a unit as shown in Figure 9, or secured by heads and nuts as indicated in Figure 3. In the event that the panels are used merely for forms to hold a poured filling until it cures, the bolts may be pulled from the poured filling when the panels are removed.

With my invention panels of concrete and the like made up'of sizes that are easy to handle may be secured together to make a wall or floor, having the advantages of compression stressing carried to its final level by the act of connecting the panels to each other. The connecting parts are very simple and being recessed into the exposed face of the panel, they may be covered with a material like that of the panel to provide a smooth, unbroken exposed face. It is obvious that the panel may or may not have reenforcing cast into it without effecting my invention.

It is believed that the nature and advantages of my invention will be clear from the foregoing description.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A wall construction comprising a plurality of like pre-cast polygonal panels having side edges abutting each other and having corner recesses at the junctions of the side edges of each panel, a stressing member under tension around each panel set in the side edges thereof and extending diagonally across the corner recesses, a plate overlying the corner recesses at each junction and pins carried by. said plate wedged between the stressing members and the panels in said recesses whereby to interlock the panels.

2. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the corner recess of each panel is lined with a metal clip that has its ends imbedded in the panel and the pins fit between the stressing members and the metal clips.

3. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the panels have depressions in one face thereof adjacent the corner recesses and the plates are seated in said depressions.

4. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the corner recess of each panel is lined with a metal clip that has its ends embedded in the panel, the metal clip extending to one surface of the panel, and the pins fitting between the stressing members and the metal clips.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 917,859 Fusch Apr. 13, 1909 979,285 Gilligan Dec. 20, 1910 2,635,450 Orzel Apr. 21, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 16,533 Australia of 1934 

